Minnow pail



M. P. JANISCH MINNOW PAIL Filed March 12, 1945 Nov. 28, 1950 Patented Nov. 28, 1950 Maximillian P.

MINNOW PAIL Janisch, Milwaukee, Wis; Bride .lanisch and Myra J. Hess executrices of said M'aximiilian P. .l'anisch, deceased Application March 12, 1945, Serial No. 582,205

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to minnow pails.

One object of the present invention is to provide a minnow pail in which the parts are combined and arranged in a manner to facilitate removal of minnows therefrom.

Another object is to provide a minnow pail in which the contained water may be readily aerated from time to time to effectively preserve the life of the minnows therein.

Other more specific objects and advantages will appear, expressed or implied, from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a minnow pail constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a modified form of false bottom that may be substituted for that shown in Fig. 1.

The minnow bucket selected for illustration comprises a substantially cylindrical sheet metal pail ill equipped with a conventional hinged bail H and a removable cover l2.

In this instance the cover I 2 comprises a ringshaped stamping having a down turned peripheral flange l3 adapted to fit snugly on the rim of the pail and also having an elevated annular portion l4 encircling a large opening in the center of the cover. The opening in the cover is normally closed by a removable lid 15 having a marginal flange l6 seated on the elevated porion I4 and also having a perforated por-- tion ll preferably dished or depressed so as to normally assume a suspended position within the cover opening.

The pail shown is also equipped with a false bottom l8 loosely fitted therein and having a down turned peripheral flange IS. The false bottom 18 is supported by a bail 2i) shaped to provide a pair of spaced vertical legs 2| guided in the cover I2 and suitably rigidly fixed at the lower ends thereof to the false bottom. The upper cross portion of the bail 29 is rockably attached to the lid I by suitable means, such as hangers 22 attached to the lid at diametrically opposite points on the supporting flange I8 thereof. That portion of the bail between the hangers 22 is fashioned to provide a hand grip 23 and preferably arched to facilitate entry of the fingers between it and the dished portion ll of the lid.

The arrangement is such that the ball 20 may be readily elevated into the dotted-line position sh wn. arrying wi h it the lid l5 and the false bottom iii, to elevate the minnows to the top of the pail where they may be conveniently removed through the opening in the cover l2 which has been cleared by the elevated lid. It will be noted that the false bottom [8 may thus be lifted above the level of water in the pail so that the minnows may be captured and withdrawn without contacting the water in the pail. It will be further noted that, when in an elevated or open position, the lid l5 with its hangers 22 may be tilted so that an edge of the flange l6 thereof extends into a position transversely of and over the central opening in the cover l2. When so tilted, the lid flange it is engageable within the cover opening to prevent reseating of the lid on the annular portion Id of the cover and thereby causing the lid to assume a self-sustained open position, in which position both handsof the user are free to introduce minnows into the pail.

The central portion 24 of the false bottom is preferably perforated to permit a free flow of water therethrough during elevation and depression thereof.

The false bottom i8 is also preferably fashioned to provide an air trap from which air may percolate up through the pail to aerate the water therein when the false bottom assumes the lowermost position shown. This may be accomplished in various ways. In the Fig. 1 device a circular flange 25 is welded or otherwise tightly fixed to the false bottom for this purpose. This flange 25 isolates the central perforated area 24 and cooperates with the peripheral flange 19 to form an annular chamber 26. A very few minute bleed openings 27 provide slow leakage of air from this chamber.

It will of course be understood that whenever the false bottom I8 is elevated above the water level, to render the minnows accessible for removal in the manner above described, air enters the chamber 26, and that the air becomes trapped therein whenever the false bottom is returned to its normal lowermost position. Thereafter the air slowly escapes through the bleed openings 2'! and percolates up through the water to aerate the same and thus preserve the life of the minnows.

The false bottom shown in Fig. 2 also functions as an aerator. In it the central perforated section 24 is dished to provide a wall 25' that cooperates with the peripheral flange l9 to form an air chamber 26 which functions in the same manner as the chamber 26 above described. Minute bleed openings 21' provide slow leakage of air from this chamber 26 upward through the water in the pail whenever the false bottom edge of the top opening so as to sustain said lid is lowered into its lowermost position. in open position.

Various changes may be made in the embodi- MAXIMILLIAN P. JANISCH. ment of the invention hereinabove specifically described without departing from or sacrificing the 5 R C S CITED advantage? the invention as defined in the The following references are of record in the i i file of this. patent:

A minnow pail including a false bottom, said UNITED PATENTS false bottom having an air trap, vertically mov- 101 Number Name Date able actuating means extending through the top 204,168 Roney May 28, 1878 of said pail for raising and lowering said false 247,690 Rodman Sept. 27, 1881 bottom, said pail having a top opening, a lid mov- 400,752 Crossman Apr. 2, 1889 able to open and close said opening, and means 713,890 Koch Nov. 18, 1902 for rockably mounting said lid on said vertically 15 947,198 Herzstam Jan. 18, 1910 movable actuating means for actuation thereby 1,127,522 Rowe Feb. 9, 1915 and for permitting tilting of said lid within said 1,843,563 Knoernschild Feb. 2, 1932 top opening into edgewise engagement with the 2,020,536 Cox Nov. 12, 1935 

